Roane State Community College

Roane State success coach Karry Garcia, left, works with student Grace Reynolds.

Sept. 21, 2016

By Bob Fowler
Staff writer

It's a new initiative that helps first-time, degree-seeking freshmen through the often challenging transition to college.

It's the Roane State Community College Success Coach program, created to assist students in everything from admissions to academics, from career counseling to financial aid.

"As with any new program, there are things we're working through, but so far it's going very well," said director Kathryn Baker. "We've had students say it's made all the difference in a potentially terrifying experience. It's kind of like having a personal mentor for your first year of college."

Training for the eight new success coaches began at the first of the year and was a rigorous three-month course, recalls coach Karry Garcia. 

“It was like school," she said. "We trained every day and had tests where you had to make 100."

Topics ranged from the many financial assistance options available to students to making sure their applications are complete.

The new initiative went live last spring when the 1,400 prospective new students who registered at Roane State were contacted by email, asked to fill out an application and location for meeting with a success coach.

"We're proactive," Baker said. "We reach out to them."

Garcia said she and her fellow coaches at times were "putting out fires," from registering students at the last minute to finalizing financial aid applications. "We were super busy in August," she said.

Coaches schedule sessions throughout the day and during evening hours. At times, Garcia said, "Everyone seemed to need you at the same moment."

She said much of her advice to new students involved financial aid, from helping correct errors in the multi-page Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to assisting new students in retrieving W-2 tax statements.

While tuition help is available through the HOPE Scholarship and the Tennessee Promise programs, there are other expenses, from textbooks to science labs to online course costs. Garcia said she and the other coaches can help students set up short-term payment plans for those expenses. 

"We try to deter them from taking on student loans," she said.

Professors can alert coaches if students are falling behind in their studies, and the coaches in turn can make tutoring referrals, Garcia said.

When Oak Ridge High graduate Grace Reynolds began getting ready for college, "I didn't know how to work the system," she said. Garcia provided needed guidance, "and that calmed me down a lot," Reynolds said.

During the inaugural of the success coach program, "We had some scenarios we didn't expect," Garcia said, but overall, "interactions with students have been excellent."

For more information, contact Baker at 865-354-3000, Ext 4811 or bakerkr@roanestate.edu.